The March for Mansfield’s Heroes – 13th December, 2009
The March for Mansfield’s Heroes took place on December 13th 2009. The full military parade started at the John Cockle Pub on Sutton Road and ended in the Market Place in the Town Centre. The Parade of over 300 serving and non-serving uniformed personnel were lead into town by the Seaforth Highlanders Pipe and Drum band and the Pleasley Colliery Welfare Brass Band.
Enlisted Regulars from the Mercian Regiment along with Air Force and Royal Navy personnel from RAF Wittering & Scampton followed the bands. The Territorial Army, Mansfield Cadets from the Army, Air Force and Navy then followed behind the Regulars. The Midlands’ branch of the Royal Green Jackets Association brought up the rear, followed by the friends and families of service personnel.
The parade assembled in front of the old Town Hall on the Market Place where members of four local branches of the Royal British Legion with Standards flying received a salute from the entire Parade. The Chad newspaper estimated that there were in excess of 3,000 people lining the streets and congregated in the Town Centre.
The crowd were addressed by a Mansfield’s Heroes Memorial Fund representative, Mansfield’s Mayor, Tony Egginton and Lt Col Keith Seddon MBE BEM PSAO of 4 Mercian Regiment. The Fund representative was delighted to be able to announce that the Fund has hit its first target of raising £20,000.
The Seaforth Highlanders and the Pleasley Colliery Brass Band played a mini concert before the Mansfield Male Voice Choir sang a number of songs including The Fallen. Bugler Blane Betts sounded the Last Post which was followed by two minutes silence in memory of the fallen. The bugler will then play the Reveille signalling the end of the parade to rapturous applause
A spokesman for the Heroes Campaign said: “It really was amazing to see how everyone connected with the Forces has responded to our request to support the Parade. We looked at this as a celebration of the spirit of the people of Mansfield in recognising our fallen heroes and the amazing way they have gone about raising money for the Memorial Fund. ”
